NFL kicker and currently free agent, Morten Andersen, is one of the NFL's all-time top kickers with almost 2,500 career points. Andersen has also been receiving regular chiropractic care since the early 1990's specifically to help him succeed as a NFL kicker. Andersen reportedly meets with his chiropractor up to 4-times per week. It's no wonder he's a 24-year NFL veteran and is currently working towards becoming the NFL's oldest player. Currently 46 years old, Andersen is shooting to continue kicking in the NFL into the young age of 50. With his chiropractor at his side, we have no doubt Andersen will very likely achieve his goal in becoming the NFL's oldest player!

In reviewing 46 studies with almost 12,000 people, U.S. researchers concluded that most diets result in similar weight losses. On average, the typical dieter loses 10 to 15 pounds or 6 percent of their body weight. Also, most put the weight back on after 5 years. Diets that tended to work better were those that made people consume fewer calories as well as those that included meetings with diet groups or counselors. Researchers additionally stated that weight loss drugs were similarly ineffective in the long term. It should be noted that the studies reviewed consisted of primarily government and university studies as well as Weight Watcher studies.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), one billion people could lose their lives during this century due to tobacco-related diseases. WHO experts state that while smoking currently kills approximately 5.4 million people per year this number could increase to over 8 million annually within the next 20 years. The reason - smoking is on the rise within many developing countries. However, experts claim there are ways to counteract these numbers if governments are willing to act. Steeper taxation, cigarette advertising bans and smoke-free public areas have all been shown to successfully help reduce the number of smokers.

Good news for all you dark chocolate lovers. New research shows daily consumption of a very small amount of dark chocolate can successfully reduce blood pressure. In this recent study, participants at the beginning stages of high blood pressure (also known as prehypertension) consumed 6.3 grams (approx. 30 calories) of either dark chocolate or white chocolate daily for a period of 2 years. Those consuming the dark chocolate experienced a 3-point drop in their systolic blood pressure and a 2-point drop in their diastolic blood pressure; no benefit was found in those consuming the white chocolate. Unlike white chocolate, dark chocolate contains polyphenols that are believed to be responsible for the cardiovascular benefits of dark chocolate. According to study researchers, while this is a small number in and of itself, it would represent a 5 percent reduction in cardiovascular death risk. It's important to note that while this small amount of dark chocolate provides cardiovascular benefits with no noted health risks, increasing the amount of dark chocolate consumed daily could increase caloric intake significantly which itself has health risks.